Anticreeper device



g- R. s. A. DOUGHERTY ET Al. 1,723,470

ANTICREEPER DEVICE Filed July 15, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet l t I? 1/ 13% 4?! INVENTORS BY jlf ESalsj/u g- 1929 R. s. A. DOUGHERTY ET AL 1,723,470

ANTICREEPER DEVICE Filed July 15, 1926 2 Sheets-$heet 2 I luulllillllllllluu INVENTORS J3 J4 3.49.14. p0 he)" BY 117E 45 aZ5' h lid Patented Aug. 6, 1929.

UNITED STATES ROBERT S. A. .DO'UGHERTY AND NEIL SAL'SICHY F BETHLEHEM, PENNSYLVANIA, AS-

PATENT OFFICE.

SIGNORS TO BETHLEHEM STEEL COMPANY.

ANTICREEPER DEVICE.

Application filed July 15, 1926.

Our invention relates to anchoring or anti-creeper devices, and particularly to the type which extend beneath the base, of a railroad. rail, gripping same and so positioned as to lJUiM'lJ with a tie ol the t1.'ack way to check thecreeping tendency of the rail.

()ur ii'ivention has for one of its objects the provision of a novel and. improved. :liorm ot anti-creeper device which is easily applied to the rail base and eilicienlly grips same to check the creeping tendency of the rail.

it further object of our invention is the provision of a two-piece anti-creeper device so constructed. that the piece; may be shipped in their correct lLSStll'llllOl'l relation to each other and in such a manner that they are not liable to be separated and are ready for immediate use.

A further object of our invention is the provision of anti-creeper device in which an ei'licient grip ol. the rail. base is initially attained independent of creepingaction of the rail.

A. fin-their object of our invention. is the provision of a substantially rigid anticrecper device adapted to ellectively grip the base of new and worn or corroded rails alike.

A further object of our invention is to provide an anti-creeper device :nlaptable to rails: having base flanges o'l ditlerent widths and thicknesses.

The novel :lieatures of our invention will. be more fully understood from the following; description and claims taken with the drawings, in which:

Fin. 1 is a. side elevation. of creeper device in position. to be the rail base;

Fig.1. 2 is a side elevation of our anticreeper device in its loose position. on the rail base;

lligr. 3 is a side ehxvation oi our anti.- creeper device in its gripping position after the key member has been driven;

Fig. l a side elevation of our anticreepcr device as shipped illustrating in .i lines t e manner in which the key member assume ed with the yoke member;

our antiap pl led to Serial No. 122,533.

I Fig. lion;

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the device shown in Fig. 4;

lfig'. 7 is a plan view of the key mel'nber;

Fig. 8 a longitudinal cross section of the key member; and,

9 1s an end view ol the key member.

.lteterring to the drawings: ll) indicates a rail and 11. a tie ot a railroad tiackway. 12 is the yoke member and 18 is the key member of our anthcrecper device. The yoke .12 comprises a transverse under rail portion 14 and inturned hook end portions 15 and. 11.6, respectively. The yoke preferably of sheet metal shaped by stamping or :shearing. The key member 13 is meterably formed troin a rolled channel shaped bar which is sheared to length to provide individual key members.

The portion 14 of the yoke 12 is dropped sutliciently below the plane of the rail. base toprovide for a clearance and room for the reception of the key member 13, and, tor further clearance in applying the yoke on to the rail base transversely of the latter.

To this end, the interior or clearance is a side elevation of the yoke por space preferably extended oulavardly and downwardly below the hook portion 15 as designated by the numeral 17 in Fig. 2, and thus allows this end to engage over the rail base first by tilting the yoke and then shift ing' it laterally on to the rail in the manner which will. be readily understood from Fig. 1.

The book end 16 is then raised vertically until. the undrn'side of the hook coplanar with the upper surface of the rail base. The yoke is then moved towards the left into its position illustrated in Fig. 2. Beneath the hook end 10 there is preferably provided an abutment face 18 to bear solidly against the edge of the rail and serves to limit the movement of the yoke towards the letl. transversely with respect to the rail. In this position oi. the yoke. the upper edge ol the portion 14 is substantially parallel with the bottom of the rail base tor the major portion of its length. This upper edge is provided with one or more protuberances or projcations 11.9 which are pireflficmbly curved and equi-distant apart for the purpose hereinafter described.

A slot is formed in the vertical edge 21 of the yoke. The lower horizontal wall of the slot 20 constitutes shoulder 20 which is substantially in aligmnent with the tip or upper surface of the protnberances 19. The key member 13 comprises a web portion 22 having depending longitudinal leg portions 23 formed at the marginal edge thereof. The web portion 22 of the key 'member 13 has formed on its under surface, one or more ways 24 which are inclined in the longitudinal direction, the number of such ways depending upon the number of protuberanccs 19 formed on the yoke with which they are adapted to engage. The inclined ways 2i, as shown in the drawings, are formed by deforming the web portion between dies. However, it will be understood that ways 24 suit able for the purpose may be formed by ther means well known to the art of metal working. As shown, the leg portions '23 are spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the thickness of the yoke member and when the anti-creeper device is in operative engagement with the rail base they constitute rigid retainim members which engage the sides of the yoke to prevent lateral relative movement between the latter and the key member.

A closed end slot 25 is formed in the web portion 22 of the key member at a point somewhat beyond the transverse center line and extends along the key member, but terminates at a point short of the end thereof. From a point approximately midway between the end of the slot 25 and the end of the key, the metal of the web is depressed or enlarged to provide an offset or hump portion 26 adapted to engage the lower horizontal wall 20' of the slot 20 for the purpose hereinafter described.

The key 13 is assembled on the yoke 12 in such a manner that it is not liable to be separated in shipment and the device is ready for immediate use. In this respect, the present device is an improvement over former types of twopiece anti-creeper devices which are not usually shipped with the individual parts in their assembled relation. In order to assemble the key on the yoke it is in verted, as shown in broken lines in Fig. 4 and the hook end portion 15 of the yoke is placed in the slot 25, as indicated by broken lines 13'. The key is moved laterally toward the yoke with a slight upward tilting movement until it is in juxtaposition with the clearance 17. It is then moved longitudinally to the left, until the end wall of the slot 25 abuts the inner surface of the yoke and is then given an upward rotary movement in a counter clockwise direction and at the same time a slight movement toward the right sot-hat it passes around the bottom left hand corner of the yoke on to the portion 1 1. The key is moved along the latter and is rotated about the bottom right hand corner of the yoke and over the top of the hook end 16 into its shipping position, indicated by full lines in Fig. 4.

Preparatory to applying our device to the rail base, the key is moved to its extreme right hand position shown by broken lines in Fig. 5 and by full lines in Fig. 1. The yoke is mounted on the rail base in the manner previously described, to its position shown in Fig. 2, and is moved longil'udi-- na-lly of the rail into juxtaposition with the lie 11. In this initial position of the device, it will be seen by referring to Figs. .3 and 5 that the protubcranccs 15) are disposed at the foot of the inclined ways ill and the key is in its lowermost horizontal position with respect to the plane of the bottom of the rail and in this position provides a clearance indicatcd by the numeral. 27, between the latter and the upper surface of the key member. ln consequence of such clearance, the device is adaptable to lit rails having dillcrent base flange thicknesses and widths. It will also be noted that in the initial position 0] the key member that the oli'set portion 20 is not in engagement with shoulder :20 and that this end. of the key extends well beyond the vertical right hand edge of the yoke. The extending end of the key is; conveniently placed so that it may be struck by a hammer or other implement suitable for the purpose of driving the key transversely of the rail and longitudinally of the yoke. It will be noted that no special tool is required to drive the key member and in lieu of the haunncr aforementioned, any suitable trackway accessory, such as a rail joint, tie plate, or even a piece of ballast, may be successfully used for this purpose.

As the key driven traiisvcrscly ol' the rail, the abutment face 18 bears solidly against the edge of the rail and prevcnis the movement of the yoke member in the same direction. As the key moves longitudinally on the yoke it is positively guided by the depending leg portions 2'? and the inclined ways 2-1- engaging the proiuberanccs 19 cause the key to be raised in right lines upwardly so that the upper surlace of same is maintained parallel with respect to the bottom surface of the rail. The key is forced in contact with the laticr and causes the device to firmly grip the rail. in this position, the offset portion 26 rests on the shoulder 20 and, thus provides a firm sup port for the extending end of the key member and prevents any tendency of the key to rock about its train-worse axis. It will be seen that the key member is of considerable length, compared with the length of the under rail portion 1a, and when our device effectively engages the rail the key extends lit! almost entirely across the bottom of the rail and imparts thereto an. upward bearing pressure which is uniformly distributed and secures a strong gripping action on rail.

In a trackway construction wherein tie plates (not shown) are employed to provide a bearing for the rail upon the-tie, the space between the rail and the latter by virtue of such clmstruction is usually sullicicnt to accon'nnodate the extending edge of the key member and allow the face of the yoke to bear directly against the side face of the tie when the device is lirst ap-- plied to the rail. However, when the track way coi'isl'riu-tion is such that the rails bear directly on the tie, as shown in Fig. (3, the yoke, under such conditions, is initially spaced a slight distance from the tie, owing to the projecting edge of the leg portion of the key member first contactii'ig with. the corner of the tie. However, in service, under the latter condition, as the rail begins to creep, the high bearing press-ante developedcauses said edge to bite into the tie and allows the full length of the yoke to bear against the tie and provide a substantial bearing surface to coact with the tie to effectively check any further tendency of the rail to creep.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that we have devised an anti-creeper device which is rigid in construction and efficiently grips the rail independent of the creeping tendency of the latter and has an extended bearing surface in contact with the under side of the rail base in directions both longitudinally and transversely of the rail. The key member, by the adequate sup port afforded by protuherances 19 of the yoke member along its length, maintained parallel at all times with respect to the plane of the bottom of the rail and thus effectively prevents any tendency of the device to rock about the rail base which might otherwise occur due to non-uniformly distributed blows receivcdin service which are occasioned by the pounding of the device on frozen ballast. Furthermore, the key member extended beyond the rail base and is act able to the track operator so that it is conveniently driven without the use of special tools. The extended end of the key is held in the slot formed at the vertical edge of the yoke to limit reverse bending in the vertical plane which might otherwise occur in service and cause the loosening of the key member.

A device constructed in accordance with our invention is conveniently shipped ready for use and in this respect is comparable with the so-called one piece anti-creeper but, however, has many advantages over the latter type, for instance, a single piece device becomes ineffective when the rail to which it is applied becomes worn or corroded and must be rcljilaced, whereas, a device embMlying our invention may be rendered just as ell'ective as when originally applied to the rail by merely driving the key member with any suitable implement which may be at hand. Thus a track walkinobserving a loose anti-creeper embodying our invention may easily place it in an cl.- fcctive condition without replaremculs or the use of special driving tools,

\Vhile we have shown our invention in but one form it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various other changes and. modilications witlmut departing from the spirit thereof, and we desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are imposed by the prior art or as are specifically set forth in the ap pended claims.

Having thus described our invention what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. An antirrceper for rails, conmrising a member adapted to extend beneath the rail and having portions thereof extending in wardly over the base flange of the rail, and a ri 'l member disposed in the vertical plane of said portions and extending beyond the edge of said base flange adapted to be driven between the bottom of the rail. and the first mentioned. member.

2. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a member adapted to extend beneath the rail and having portions thereof extending inwardly over the base flange of the rail, a rigid member disposed in the vertical plane of said portions and extending beyond the edge of the base flange adapted to be driven between the bottom of the rail and. the first mentioned member, and means to prevent substantial relative lateral movement bctween said members.

El. An ai'iti-creeper for rails, com n-ising a member adapted to extend beneath the rail and having portions thereof extending inwardly over the base flange of the rail, one or more raised portions formed on said member, a member adapted to be driven between the bottom of the rail and the lirst mentioned member, and one or more inclined. ways formed on the second mentioned member for engaging said raised portions.

4:. An anti-crcepei. for rails, comprising a yoke having hook ends to ei'lgagc the upper surface of the base flange of the rail, and an under rail portion in spaced relation with respect to the bottom of the rail, one or more n'otuberances projecting upwardly from said portion, a key having a relatively large bearing surface for engaging the under surface of the rail base, and one or more inclined ways formed on said key adapted to engage said protuberalices.

5. An anticreeper for rafls, comprising a yoke, a key extending longitudinally of said yoke and having a closed slot to receive the yoke, and members depending from said key for engaging the sides of said yoke.

6. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke having one or more protuberances formed thereon, and a key member having one or more inclined ways formed thereon adapted to engage said protuberances.

7. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke having one or more protuberances formed thereon, a key member having one or more inclined w. s formed thereon adapted to engage saic protuberances, and members depending from said key for engaging the sides of said yoke.

8. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke having hook ends and an under rail portion, one or more protuberanees formed on said portion, one edge of said yo ke being slotted to provide a shoulder, a key member having a closed slot receptive of one of the hook ends aforesaid, one or more inclined ways formed on said key for engaging said protuberances, and an offset portion of said key adapted to engage said shoulder.

9. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke and a key member having a closed slot formed therein IGCOPtlXG of said yoke, said key being of such'a length that it extends beyond the edge of the rail base when the yoke is mounted on the rail.

10. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a iyoke having a rail engaging portion and a my disposed in the vertical plane of said portion and having a slotted end portion adapted to straddle said yoke and extend beyond the edge of the rail base when the yoke is mounted on the rail. 11. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke having a rail engaging portion, a key having a slotted end portion adapted to straddle said rail engaging portion and extend beyond the edge of the rail base when the yoke is mounted on the rail, and means for moving said key into contact with the base of the rail upon movement of the key transversely of the rail.

12. An'anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke, a key having a slotted end portion adapted to straddle said yoke and extend beyond the edge of the rail base when the yoke is mountedon the rail, and means for moving said key into contact with the base ofthe rail upon movement of the key transversely of the rail, said means comprising a protuberance formed on said yoke adapted to engage an inclined way formed on the key member.

13. An anti-creeper for rails, a yoke having an interior portion defining hook ends and an under rail portion, a projection extending from said under rail portion into said interior, a key member adapted to rest on said projection and having an inclined way adapted to coact with said projection to raise said key when the latter is moved longitudinally, and means to prevent lateral displacement of the key with respect to said yoke during said movement.

14:. An anti-creeper for rails, a yoke having an interior portion defining hook ends and an under rail portion, a projection extending from said under rail portion into said interior, a key member adapted to rest on said projection and having an inclined way adapted to coact with said projection to raise said key when the latter is moved longitudinally, said. key being oli sullicient length to extend beyond the edge of the base of the rail upon which the yoke is mounted, and means to prevent lateral displacement oi the key with respect to said yoke during said movement.

15. An anti-creeper tor rails, comprising a yoke having hook ends and an under rail portion, one or more projections extending from said portion, a key having a web portion and. depending leg portions, said web portion being provided with an inclined way and slotted from a. point beyond its transverso center line to a point terminating short of its end and having an otl'set portion intermediate the slot thus termed and said end, and a shoulder formed at the vertical edge of said yoke adapted to support the end of said key when the anti-creeper is mounted in its operative position on the rail.

16. An anti-creeper for rails comprising a yoke having hook ends and. an under rail portion, one or more projections exteinling from said portion, a key having a web portion and depending leg portions, said web portion being deformed to provide an inclined way and slotted from a point beyond its transverse center line to a point terminating short of its end and having a. depressed portion intermediate the slot thus termed and said end, and walls detining a slot formed at the vertical edge of said yoke adapted to limit the vertical movement of the end of said key when the anticreeper is in its operative position on the rail.

17. A yoke for an anti-creeper tor rails, comprising an under rail portion, hook end portions adapted to extend over the upper surface of the rail base, and one or lnore protuberances formed on said under rail portion, the vertical edge of one of said end portions being slotted to provide a. shoulder.

18. A key for an anti-creeper tor rails, comprising a web portion, and depending leg portions, said web portion being deiiormed to provide one or more inclined. ways.

19. A key for an anti-creeper for rails,

comprising a web portion, and leg port-ions, said web portion having a proturberance constituting an. inclined way and having a certain portion of its length removed to con stitute an elongated slot.

20. An anti-creeper tor rails, comprising a yoke adapted to extend beneath. the rail and having portions thereof extending inwardly over the base flange ot' the rail, and a key member adapted to straddle said yoke and. to be driven between said yoke and the bottom oi? the rail, said key member being of such length that upward bearin g pressure is applied. to the bottom oi: the rail across 1oibstaintiaily the entire width of its base flange and in the same vertical plane as the downward pressure applied to the upper i-airl'ace ot the flange by the alm-esaid portions when the anti-creeper is in its operative position on the rail.

21. An anti-creeper tor rails, comprising a yoke having hook ends and an. under rail. poi tion, one or more protuberances termed on said portion, a key member having a closed slot receptive of one oil? the book ends afm'esaid, one or more inclined ways termed on said key for engaging said, protuberances, and a shoulder formed at a vertical edge of said yoke for engaging said key when the anttcreepm: mounted in its operative position on the rail.

22. An anti-creeper for rails, comprising a yoke having hook ends and an one or rail portion, a key member adapted to coact with said portion whereby it moves upwardly against the rail base when driven trans 'ver;- ely with respect to the rail, and a SllOUlder formed at a vertical edge of said yoke for supporting said key member when the anti-creeper is mounted in its operative position on the rail.

23. An anchor for rails comprising a yoke having an under rail portion connecting a pair of hook end portions, and a key member having an opening formed therein, one oi? said hook end portions and said under rail portion being so formed with respect to said o 'iening that this end portion of the yoke may enter said opening and the key then moved along the under rail portion to its position preparatory to applying the anchor to a rail and the other hook end portion being so formed with respect to said opening as to prevent the ren'ioval of the key member from the yoke at the last mentioned portion.

2st. A two-piece anchor for rails comprising a member having an under rail. portion and a rail flange engaging portion, a vertical portion connecting the first mentioned portions, a key member embracing said vertical portion and adapted to lie upon said under rail portion beneath said rail flange engaging portion, and means to prevent the removal of said key member from said member over said rail flange engaging portion.

25. An anchor for rails con'iprising a member adapted to extend beneath the rail and having a portion thereof adapted to engage the base flange of the rail, and. a member adapted to be driven between the bottom of the rail and the first mentioned member, one of said members having one or more raised portions and the other member having one or more inclined ways for engaging said raised portions.

26. An anchor device comprising a member having a body portion and a hook end portion extending trom said body portion, and a key member adapted to lie upon the latter portion and straddle said hook end portion.

An anchor device comprising a memher having a hook end portion, key having a slotted. end portion adapted to rest on said member and :sitraddle said hook end portion, and means for moving said key latorally with respect to said member upon longitmlinal movement of the key.

28. An anchor for rails comynising a memher having a flange engaging portion, a key having a slotted end portion adapted. to straddle said flange engaging portion. and extend beyond the ed ot the rail base when said member is mounted. on the rail, and means for moving said key into contact with the base oi. the rail upon movement of the key transversely oi? the rail.

29. In a railway track structure the combination of a tie, rail supported on said tie, a member disposed transversely under said rail and having a flange engaging portion, and a key interposed between said member and the rail and extending beyond the edge of the rail base and straddling said flange engaging portion. 7

80. An. anchor device comprising a member having a body portirm and a. portion ex" tending from said body portion, and a key member resting on said body portion and en'ibraeing said extending portion so that the parts may be stopped a.--:sembled together in the relationship they have to each other preparatory to a] )plying them to their eitteetii vc position.

31. A. yoke tor a rail anchor, comprising a plate of substantially uniform thickness adapted to lie flat against a railroad tie and having a reentrant portion defining hook ends and an under rail portion and a phe rality oil. curved members extending from said under rail portion into said reentrant portion.

In testimony wherco't we hereunto afiix our signatures.

ROBERT S. A. DOUGHERTY. NEIL E. SALSICH. 

